Good morning–and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!

Below is a hymn that many Christians sing all over the world in connection with the biblical attribute of thanksgiving. This hymn was penned by Martin Rinkart (1586-1649), a Lutheran pastor in Saxony who pastored during the Thirty Years’ War. Due to the military overrunning his beloved city of Eilenburg three times, along with the overcrowding of refugees, this led to pestilence, famine, and much loss of life. At one juncture in 1637, he conducted 40-50 funerals per day–almost 4000 funerals that year.

Rinkart was also a prolific hymn writer. Below is his contribution that you will still find in hymnals in church all over the world, penned in 1636 and translated by Catherine Wentworth years later.

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.